cost effective pipeline modificationand repair without the need forshutdown

Furmanite IPSCO Specialist Hot Tappingand Line Stopping techniques

Furmanite IPSCO Specialist Hot Tappingand Line Stopping techniques

Hot Tapping

Basic procedure n Install fitting and valve on existing pipeline

n Install hot tap machine

n Perform hot tap through the open valve(special device retains the ‘coupon’removed during the operation)

n Cutter assembly retracted

n Hot tap valve closed

n Hot tap machine removed to allowconnection to new pipe

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Hot Tapping is a specialist technique employed by Furmanite IPSCO for making a connec-tion to piping or vessels while the system is operating under pressure. Our vast experiencein pipeline intervention techniques, our trained and skilled work force, considerable inven-tory and our global reach makes us the prime technical resource for pipeline modificationand repair under high pressure, large diameter or subsea. Industries where our expertisehas been successfully deployed include oil exploration and production (both topside andsubsea), refineries and petrochemical plants, gas, power generation and utilities such aswater and waste, in fact any industry where continuous process is paramount.

Furmanite IPSCO’s range of specialist engineering services and patented technologies, togeth-

er with project planning capability and on-site management ensure that uptime is maximised

and assets keep earning.

Hot Tapping is a procedure using an under-pressure drilling machine to cut a hole in an oper-

ating pipeline to facilitate a new branch connection from the original pipe or vessel. The

process is undertaken with no loss, leakage or interruption to flow.

Furmanite IPSCO manufactures and operates a complete range of equipment to carry out hot

taps from 1/2” (ND 13 mm) to 72” (ND 1800 mm) at pressure ratings up to 1480 psi (102 bar)

and temperatures up to 370ºC (700ºF).

Typical hot tap procedure involves a fitting designed to

contain system pressure, a valve to control the new con-

nection and a hot tap drilling machine.

8” (200mm) hot tap line stop operationand 2” (50mm) equalisation tap

36” hot tap cutter, coupon and pilot drill

Removal of coupon

36” coupon showing bracing support

Line stopping is a specialistprocedure that temporarily stopsflow within an operating pipeline.

The technique can be used toisolate piping systems forrepair, alteration, orrelocation. When used in

conjunction with bypasslines product flow can bemaintained around the isolated section of the pipe ensuring that

production is uninterrupted while the section of pipeis repaired or system modified.

Line Stopping

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Line stopping can require dedicated equipment to reflect the pipe size, pressure rating and

temperature of the media within the pipe. Furmanite IPSCO is able to address many challenges

using its extensive inventory, engineering expertise and years of experience in pipeline

intervention.

Folding head systemSequence of 36" (ND 900mm) folding head installed in steel cylinder rein-forced concrete test pipe

Basic proceduren Install line stop fitting and hot tap pipe

(see basic Hot Tap procedure)

n Line stop equipment is installed on thetemporary tapping valve and the valve is opened

n Line stop head enters the pipelinethrough the hot tap connection

n Temporary seal is achieved andpipeline flow is stopped

n Repair, alteration or relocation is per-formed

n Line stop head is removed from thepipe via the hot tap connection

n Temporary valve is closed and the linestop equipment is removed

n Completion plug is installed on the tap-ping machine

n Tapping machine is installed on thetemporary tapping valve

n Valve is opened, completion plug isinstalled in the branch of the line stopfitting and locked in position

n Line stop equipment and temporary tap-ping valve are removed from the linestop fitting

n Blind flange is installed on the line stopfitting

Folding head systemThe folding head line stop system, which utilises a reduced branch

fitting, is another cost-effective method of line stopping. This

system is used in water/wastewater, transmission, oil, gas and

petrochemical industries, Sizes range from 8” (ND 200mm) to 72”

(ND 1800 mm) with pressures up to 145 psi (10 bar). Larger sizes

upon request.

The prime advantage being that the equipment is lighter, more

readily transported to site and reduced workspace is required

around the pipe.

Installation of sealing element 6” (150mm)pivoting head

48”(1200mm) folding head for crude oil line stop

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Sure-stop systemFurmanite IPSCO’s Sure-stop sealing is a well proven cylinder-wedge stopper method used by many customers for its positive mechanical seal. Traditionally limited from 4” (ND 100 mm) to12” (ND 300 mm) pipe, this method is now available for larger diameter pipes, from 14” (ND350 mm) to 46” (ND 1150 mm).The positive mechanical seal provides two distinct advantages:

n Sealing on the machine edge eliminates potential problems related to erosion/corrosion, internal pipebuild-up or out-of-roundness

n The mechanically wedged seal allows new sections of pipe to be pressure tested between stoppers.

Line Stopping cont’d

HTP stopPositive sealing for high temperature and pressure pipe systems

The HTP stop provides a metal-to-metal seal at the pipe face, eliminating problems from

erosion/corrosion, internal pipe build-up or out-of-roundness, creating a ‘block and bleed’

system allowing modifications or valve replacement to be undertaken downstream. As the

sealing surface is metal-to-metal, the line stop can be left on the line longer than elastomer seals

would allow.

HTP stops are effective at temperatures up to 370ºC (700ºF) and pressure ratings up to 1480

psi (102 bar).

20” (500mm) Sure-stop bottom-out fitting withcompletion plug installed

Double 20” (500mm) Sure-stop on natural gas linewith 14” (350mm) bypass

Sure-stop line stop head

8” (200mm) HTP line stop on steam condensateline

Double-stop and bypass for valve insertionUtilising two fittings, the system flow

is maintained through a bypass from

one line stop machine to another.

Once the line is isolated, drained and

cut, the new valve is installed, the

temporary bypass disassembled, the

line stop machines removed and the

blind flanges are installed.

Double-stop and bypass for permanent relocation using 3-way teesThis method of relocation uses a

long branch nozzle with outlet or 3-

way fitting and shows how two

fittings may be used instead of four.

Permanent valves are not used and

flow can be maintained while the

plugging operation is on-going.

The old section is plugged and end

caps installed for permanent

isolation, the plugging machine

removed and blind flanges

installed.

Double-stop and bypass for permanent relocationA typical pressure layout using two

hot tap fittings with valves and two

line stop fittings for the installation

of a new section of pipe.

The Line stop machines are in place

and the flow is stopped in the

original line. The section of original

pipe is removed.

The relocation is complete and the

line stop machines are replaced

with blind flanges.

Typical Line Stop applications

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14” (350mm) line stop with bypass

Spherical Tee line stop fitting with side outletfor permanent relocation

Line stop, equalisation and bypass fittings formultiple line relocations

Offshore and subsea applicationsFurmanite IPSCO’s global expertise is geared to serve the offshore sector’s specificoperational requirements both topside and subsea.

Furmanite IPSCO understands that maintaining production and minimising disruption is

critical to the profitability of the operation. Furmanite IPSCO’s hot tapping and line stopping

techniques are geared to share in this ethos.

Subsea applications bring new and unique challenges due to the need for diver intervention

and pressure variations at depth. Furmanite IPSCO is able to perform hot taps and line stops

subsea at depths up to 1,000 ft, including single line stops through to double line stops with

bypass on high-pressure natural gas and crude lines.

It is within this environment that Furmanite IPSCO has carried

out its largest double hot tap connection on a 36” high-

pressure gas line at 500 ft. Other projects have included a

double 20” line stop with 12” bypass on HP gas line at 700ft,

multiple subsea hot taps and line stops off the coast of Egypt,

as well as multiple hot taps to float a submerged fuel storage

cell at 650 ft.

SummaryFurmanite IPSCO has considerable experience around the

globe working to tight timescales, mobilisation/demobilisation

schedules, restricted space and potentially hazardous

environments. Our current capability includes;

n Subsea hot taps up to 36” Class 900

n Subsea line stops up to 36”

Our global reach includesn North Sea

n Gulf of Mexico

n Arabian Gulf

n Red Sea

n Gulf of Guinea (West Africa)

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914XL hot tap machine is lowered in toNorth Sea for 16” hot tap

6” (150mm) line stop being evacuated andraised to the surface

Mechanical hot tap tee with hot tap machine fitted is lowered into Gulf of Mexico

914XL hot tap machine with hot tap fitting

24” x 12” mechanical hot tap fitting, ANSI 600 for subsea application

Furmanite IPSCO has an extensive engineering and manufacturing capability both in the UK

and the US and is able to supply dedicated equipment such as hot tapping machines and

ancillary equipment for customer use, ranging from drilling and plugging machines, split

sleeve self-sealing clamps and contingency supplies. All customer

requirements are reviewed and validated to ensure that design codes,

manufacturing tolerances and safety considerations are met and that

the ISO9001 Quality Management System is maintained.

Engineering, manufacturing andquality management

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Three-way line stop tee foruse on flare lines

Purge equalisation fittings(screw lock nipples)

Sure Stop tee with bottom outletprepped for welding

Close-Sure completion flange

Spherical three-way teeoutlet from side or bottom

Mechanical line stop fitting withblind flange

Split tee

Tapping machine with capabilities from 13mm to 300 mm

FittingsFurmanite IPSCO manufactures split tees,

shaped nozzles and close-sure line stop

fittings in a variety of sizes and

combinations for hot/wet tapping and line

stopping. Fittings are available for size-on-

size or reduced branch applications from

2” (ND 50 mm) to 60” (ND 1500 mm). Custom

designed fittings are available on request.

Our fittings are designed and manufactured

in accordance with ANSI standards.

Customer specific requirements can be

considered upon request.

EquipmentFurmanite IPSCO also manufacturers a

complete line of hot tapping equipment

from 1/2” (ND13 mm) to 72” (ND 1800 mm)

and line stopping equipment from 4” (ND

100 mm) to 72” (ND 1800 mm) with maximum

rating to 1480 psi (102 bar) at 100°F (38°C)

700 psi (48 bar) at 700°F (370°C). We

manufacture a complete line of line

stopping equipment which includes

actuators, pivoting heads, sandwich

type valves, sealing elements, cutters, pilot

drills and other related items. Individual

equipment specification sheets and

equipment packages are available to

meet your specific requirements and can

be prepared on request.

48” (1200mm) line stop fitting with comple-tion plug installed on crude line

Furmanite IPSCOPipeline Intervention DivisionSunningdale House, Sunningdale RoadScunthorpe DN17 2TY UKTel: +44 (0)1724 849 904 Fax: +44 (0)1724 861 033E-mail: salessupportuk@furmanite.com www.furmanite.com

Optimise your assets by eliminatingunscheduled downtimeFurmanite helps companies across all industries worldwide achieve maximum process

efficiency and effective asset management - adding value not cost - bringing a breadth of

experience plus a raft of products and services, using the latest materials, techniques and

technologies, and engineering dedicated solutions where required. All are designed to

increase process efficiency, extend production runs, minimise scheduled downtime, and

avoid unscheduled shutdowns.

From working alongside an in-house maintenance team, or project-managing all

maintenance or specialist requirements, through to providing a full-time Furmanite

technician or team on-site, Furmanite will work with its customers to meet their

requirements.

For over 75 years, Furmanite has been the name behind innovative leak-sealing techniques,

providing major players in the oil and gas, power generation, mining and petrochemical

industries with an unrivalled level of expertise. On-call 24/7 for emergency repairs and

planned shutdown support.

Today, Furmanite is the world's preferred engineering partner, delivering on-line, on-site

engineering services and advanced patented technologies, saving companies $millions on

their bottom line by maximising asset uptime.

n Support through asset life

n Project managing maintenanceschedules

n Permanent on-site presence

n Multi-skilled workforce

n Real cost savings on operationalbudgets

Furmanite’s skills and supportservices include;

n CONTROLLED BOLTING (PSIM)

n ON-LINE LEAK SEALING

n TRANSFORMER LEAK SEALING

n FURMASEAL- SELF SEALING REPAIR CLAMPS- PIPE END CONNECTORS

n PIPELINE INTERVENTION- HOT TAPPING- LINE PLUGGING- PIPE FREEZING- GROUTED TEES

n VALVE REPAIR

n TREVITEST ON-LINE VALVE TESTING

n ON-SITE MACHINING

n METAL DISINTEGRATION

n SILK SPECIALIST MACHINES

n HEAT EXCHANGER MANUFACTURE AND REPAIR

n TANK ROOF REPAIRS

n SMART SHIM CONDUCTOR ANALYSIS AND CHOCKING

n COMPOSITES REPAIRS AND STRUCTURAL STRENGTHENING

n PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION

n ENVIRONMENTAL/SAFETY PRODUCTS

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Furmanite delivers